


Friction Point

by Rozarka



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-02-02
Updated: 2007-02-02
Packaged: 2017-11-11 04:56:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/474759
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rozarka/pseuds/Rozarka
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hermione is giving Viktor driving lessons, but he's not a very patient student. Some slyly applied innuendo turns out to help...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Friction Point

" _Gadno vech'toriya!_ _Po dyavolite!_ " Viktor threw his hands up in the air. " _Akh!_ " He glared in belligerent despair at the ignition key, then at her, as though suspecting her of hexing it. "Damn," he added a bit more meekly, putting the gear lever back into neutral.

Hermione had to fight down a laugh, because she didn't want to make him feel any more foolish than he already did. It was she who had suggested that he learn to drive a car, something that seemed sensible given her Muggle family and the need to sometimes travel to them in a quick and unobtrusive manner. Viktor had been a good sport about it up until now, but it was typical of him to expect skills to come easily, with his prodigy background and ambitious nature. 

He did have the Seeker's gaze, which was a great help in getting an overview of the traffic and making quick, good decisions, but Muggle machinery had proved to be less intuitive to him.

"Shh," she soothed him. "You're doing nothing wrong with the key. You're actually doing very well apart from your unfortunate habit of choking the engine at every stop. It's your use of the pedals. You let out the clutch too suddenly and you're too fast on the accelerator. First, you've got to bring up the clutch very gently. Here, let's try it again." 

She reached over and turned the key for him, starting the engine. "Now press in the clutch pedal, put the car into first gear and ease up the clutch gently until you feel the rumble as it reaches the friction point. At that point you hold, and give it a bit of help with your right foot on the accelerator." She gave him an encouraging smile. "Think of the engine as a cat you're stroking. You only want to make it purr, not growl at you or, heaven forbid, to choke it."

Viktor tried and promptly choked the engine, as he had done half a dozen times already. He shook his head, raking a hand through his hair. "Must be some things the matter vith these pedals," he muttered sullenly.

"I drove the car here without problems," Hermione pointed out.

"Vell, then," Viktor said, a trace of bitterness in his voice, "Muggle car hates me. This is the problem."

With his scowl and the stubborn set of his mouth, he was so quintessentially, irresistibly Viktor that Hermione couldn't help herself -- she reached out and squeezed his thigh. "Nonsense, how could it hate you? You're so adorable and sexy when you pout. Although you probably shouldn't call it a bloody piece of junk every time you choke it; it may be starting to pick up a few choice Bulgarian phrases, you know." 

"I never pout," Viktor asserted with a haughty glance sideways.

"You do so, but you're not getting off the hook. You promised I could teach you to drive if I let you teach me to fly better. And I kept my end of the bargain."

Drawing back her hand, she gave him a sudden inspired grin, as an idea occurred to her. A little naughty, perhaps, but maybe it would help, and it would be only fair payback for all his teasing innuendo when he'd taught her to master the broomstick.

"Listen, if it helps, imagine that the car is ... a woman. If you want to make her purr, you have to use finesse -- make her tremble a bit before you crank up the heat. You don't want to hit her with all you've got just at once."

Viktor turned his head towards her in disbelief, cocking an eyebrow. "You now vant me to also risk my male pride for this? Vot if I try this and still can not make her purr?"

She favoured him with a demure smile under her lashes. "Viktor, we both know that you are highly accomplished at making her purr."

At last, a small smirk tugged on Viktor's lips, too. "Am too modest to say this is true," he said, with an unsuccessful attempt at looking humble, and Hermione laughed and leaned over to give him an encouraging kiss on the cheek.

"Ready to try it? Now turn the key."

He started the engine, pressed in the clutch pedal, and put the car in first. 

"Now," said Hermione, "remember, go easy on her at the start, right? You don't want to just barge in there and take what you want."

"Sometimes she likes this," Viktor objected slyly, and Hermione blushed, just a little bit.

"Er... yes. But that is for more ... advanced lessons. At the beginning of your relationship, when you're still warming up to each other, you don't want to assume such liberties; you want to go slow and gentle. Make sure she responds to you. Bring her to her ... er, friction point. Gently."

Viktor took a deep breath, giving the steering wheel a light caress. "That's right, sveetheart ... just relax and enjoy it," he murmured, and eased the pedal up. Slowly. Patiently. Carefully.

And like a miracle, _there_ was the perfect, tender tremble of the engine.

"Now," Hermione urged him, and Viktor gave the accelerator a squeeze with his right foot. Gentle, almost playful, his eyes narrowing and lips pursing in concentration. The engine eased right from a tremor into a contented purr, Hermione discreetly let off the handbrake that Viktor had forgotten, and the car rolled slowly forward as he increased the pressure on the accelerator.

"Aha," said Viktor, triumphant understanding dawning in his dark eyes. "I think I got it now!" He threw her a teasing sideways glance. "You are excellent teacher, _mila_."

Hermione found that her gaze was dangerously drawn to the wicked look on Viktor's face, and tore her attention back to the road ahead. "Please keep your eyes on the traffic, Mr. Krum," she admonished him, a smile of anticipation playing over her lips. "I trust you'll show me your appreciation as soon as you've taken us home."

-end-


End file.
